Rolling closure structure



May 26, 1942. w. F. HECKMAN EI'AL ROLLING CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 22, 1939 I2 I? HEC/(MAN Orr/s C. l/AG'G'ARG. v

ATTORNEYS- PatentedMay 26, 1942 V l William F. Heckinan, Newport, and Ottis O. Haggard, Dayton, Ky., assignors to Higgin Products, Inc., Newport, K

aware y., a corporation of Del- Application December 22,1939, Serial No. 310,512

12 Claims. (Cl. 156- 39) Our invention applies to rolling closures for a windows or other openings generally, including rolling window screens, shades, light-tight closures and the like; but is especially useful in connection with the last mentioned type of structure, and will be described in connection therewith in an exemplary embodiment. v

In typical light-tight closure installations, such for example as are set forth in Traut Patent 1,947,070 of Feb. 13, 1934, a roller housing is installed at the top of the window opening; side uides are placed at the sides, and a bottom rail is provided. The closure'is held on a spring roller in the housing, and is provided-with a draw bar, riding in the side guides and making ultimate light-tight connection with the bottom rail as the closure is drawn down. The edges of the closure ride in theside guides; and in most installations it is necessary to provide transverse bars or braces for theclosure itself, which are either incorporated in the closure or are slidable on the side guides and are lifted by the draw bar as it ascends Light-tight connections have to be made between the side guides and the bottom rail and between the side guides and the roller 1 housing, giving a rather elaborate interfitting structure. Moreover, wherever the roller housing, side guides or bottom rail contact the win dow opening, calking must be done to eliminate light leaks. The installation thus becomes a permanent part of the building and can be removed only with the utmost difficulty and with damage to the interior trim of. the building.

Yet, when something goes wrong with the structure, as for example a rent or tear the rolling closure itself, necessitating removal 'of the spring roller fromthe housing, the entire structure must be demounted. Roller housings have been made in which the front plate or panel could be removed;,but this does not solve the problem since it is still necessary to remove the housing from the window opening if the spring roller is to be removed from thehousing.

A fundamental object ofour invention is the provision of a structure in which the spring roller can be removed from the housing and the rolling moved and reassembled-without the useof complicated or unusual tools; the provision of a structure which does not interfere either with'the operation of securing initial tension-orwith the means by whicli't'ension maybe adjusted during operation-of the closure. 7 l h These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will'be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading this specification, I accomplish by that certain construc-'- tion and arrangementof parts of which- I shall now describe the aforesaid exemplary embodiments. I r Reference is made to the drawing, wherein:

1 Figure l is a vertical elevation of a rolling cloelements in a stage of disassemloly.v

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view throughthe end plate taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4..

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the roller housing and roller taken along the lines Fig. 8'

is a perspectiveview of the end plate of Fig. 4.

, Fig. 9 is a'perspective view of the keeper device. 7

sure has adrawbar Illa. We shall not further describe the general structure of the rolling closure but shall confine ourselves "to-a description of the means whereby the closure and rollermay be removed from the structure without demount-. ing any of the permanently installed parts of-the rollingclosure structure.

The spring roller housing 5 has a removable front plate ll held on by screws or the like. It

has already been pointed out that the side guides have light-tight interconnection with the spring roller housing. This connection is such as to permit the removal of the front plate I. As shown most clearly in Fig. '7 the housing hasend plates l2 and IS. The spring roller I4 is loosely mounted upon a shaft IS, the ends of which extend through the end plates l2 and I3. A spring I6 is interposed between a member I! attachedgroove H! (see Fig. 2) in the roller, which groove provides means for attachment of the rolling closure 20 to the roller. The member 18 formsa bearing for the roller on the shaft near one end of the roller; and a bearing near the other" end may be provided by a memberffl, V V

In rolling closures of this type it is advisable to provide means for the adjustment of tension to be wholly disengaged from the end plate l3.

conditions. For this purpose the shaft I5 ispro vided at one of its ends with a beveled worm gear T 22, This gear has aoshank 23 which is pinned or 'keyed to the shaft and which extends through a perforation the end wall [31 The beveled Followingthe principles of our invention, we

provide the end plate l3with a slot whereby the portion 29is downwardly so as to bring the beveled worm gear out of engagement with the worm. This relationship'is shown in Fig; 5. Immediately disengagement is effected, any tension of the spring I6 is released through rotation of the worm gear; but it will be noticed first that the worm gear has been'brought out of engagement with the worm 'andis free to rotate without destroying its teeth or those of the worm, and secon d that the, tension is released while the shaft and spring rollersare essentially in the housing,

so. that there is no danger to the operator.

The book shaped tool which he is using does'not rotate, of'lcours'e; and the danger of serious injury has beeni done away with. The tension is released immediately; and the worm gear and shaft are drawn forwardly out through the slot so as Next; by a slightaxialmov'ement of the shaft (to the right hig 'l) the left hand end of the shaft is pulled out of th lperforation in the end "plate I2; Thesha-ft and spring roller are now' 7 side guides. In this way the spring roller assemend of the shaft and the beveled worm gear may be removed from the plate'in a forward direction. By reason of the bearing members 25 and centering ridges on'the worm it is not possible to-remove the end of the shaft and the worm gear in a direction parallel to the axis of the worm, unless the worm gear be-brought out of engagement therewith. As a consequencejin our -pre-' ferred form we slot the'end plate l3 in a manner shown most clearly in Fig;'8. Here the slot terminates centrally of the plate in a portion 28 so positioned as to hold theworm'gear in meshing relationship with the worm.- Immediately beyond thispoint the slot sharply angles downwardly as at 29, and terminates toward the edge of the plate [3 in a horizontalportion 30. A keeper is provided as shown most clearly inFigs.

4, 5 and 9. This keeper comprises a part 3| which.

lies in the plane of the body of the end plate l3 and fills the slot therein tothe extent of keeping the worm gear in the positioning portion 28.

Fastened' to the part 3!, the keeper also has a part 32 which lies parallel'to andagainst a face of the body of the end plate l3 andmay -be fastened thereto by a screw 33'. The relationship of the face plate ll isremoved, thus disclosing the roller. Next thekeeper 3'l32 is removed by taking out the screw 33 and pulling the keeper forwardly; The tension of the spring IE on the the" keeper.

bly and the'closure assembly can betaken out of the installation without demounting either the spring roller housing oi 'th i;ides{ on the bottomrail; p. Y

The-operation of re-irlsta'lling the spring roller and closure assembly is the reverse of the operations describedabovei Our construction -permits the usual practice of p're-tensioningthe spring before installation. This is desirable because the complete tensioningof the spring by means: of the worm and gear arrangement is time- 'consuming.- It is the practice, whilei holding the roller to rotate theshaft' to build up spring tension before inserting the shaft in the housing. This is' done in the ordinary manner before the worm gear is engaged in the slot; and it has; already been explained that the ultimate engagement of the worm gear" with theworm holds the shaft infposition in the slot,- leaving the'operat'ors hands free toinsert and fasten jOther fo'r'ms-of slot construction may be employed. In I Fig; 10 we have shown a slot 35 which is asti-aig'ht fslot,- but located aslant to the horizontal. The inner endof the slot terminates at a locating point for the gear but the slot itself has afsufiicient downward slant to produce disengagement of the gear and worm prior to, disengagement of the worm from the' end' plate.

The keeper; inthisinstance comprises the same.

, essentialparts 3| 0. and 32d, the first mentioned shaft 15 (which. in Figs. '4 and 5 tends to rotate theworm gear 22 in a counter-clockwise direction) serves to retain the gear and'wormin engagement. Any suitable sort of hook is next engaged with the shaft I5 or with the worm gear 22 j or its shank. Aforward pull on the hook causes the worrngear and the end of the shaft to move forwardly in the slot. The immediatecomponentof motion, howeyer, produced bythe slanting slot gear support from. beneath. 7

It may further be noted that our construction permits ust'o fo'rrnthe'shank of the, worm gear 7 s with arib 38, leaving." an annular groove between the ribaridthe worm. gear 22-. Thus'the worm gear' is enabled to act as a centering means for the shaft.

Modifications may be made in ourinvention without departing from the spirit of it.

Having thus described our invention what we.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination in a spring roller housin an end plate, a shaft adapted to extend through said end plate, a gear on the end of said shaft having engagement with said end plate, a worm mounted on said end plate for turning said gear, and means removably retaining said gear on said I end plate, said means comprising a removable keeper for said gear, said end plate having a slot therein permitting withdrawal of said gear when said keeper is removed.

2. In combination in a spring roller housing, an end plate, a shaft adapted to extend through said end plate, a gear on the end of said shaft having engagement with an end plate, a worm mounted on said end plate for turning said gear, and means removably retaining said gear on said end plate, said means comprising a removable keeper for said gear, said end plate having a slot therein permitting withdrawal of said gear when said keeper is removed, said slot having a portion for retaining said gear in engagement with said worm, and a removal portion, said removal portion having a downwardly extending part whereby 'upon removal of said gear, disengagement of said gear from said worm is effected prior to disengagement of said gear from said plate.

3. In combination in a spring roller housing, an end plate, a shaft adapted to extend through said end plate, a gear on the end of said shaft having engagement with an end plate, a worm mounted on said end plate for turning said gear, and means removably retaining said gear on said end plate, said means comprising a removable keeper for said gear, said end plate having a slot therein permitting withdrawal of said gear when said keeper is removed, said slot extending downwardly from a positioning portion whereby disengagement of said gear and said worm is effected prior to disengagement of said gear from said plate.

4. In combination in a spring roller housing, an end plate, a shaft adapted to extend through said end plate, a gear on the end of said shaft having engagement with an end plate, a worm mounted on said end plate for turning said gear, and means removably retaining said gear from said end plate, said means comprising a removable keeper for said gear, said end plate having a slot therein permitting withdrawal of said gear when said keeper is removed, said slot having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion whereby disengagement of said gear and said worm is effected prior to disengagement of said gear and said plate, said keeper having a horizontal portion lying within said slot and supporting said gear from beneath.

5. An end plate construction for a spring'roller housing comprising a body, a worm rotatably mounted on said body, said body havin a slot extending from a central position at which said slot may retain a worm gear in mesh with said worm to an edge of said plate, whereby said gear may be disenga ed from said plate.

6. An end plate construction for a spring roller housing comprising a body, a worm rotatably mounted on said body, said body having a slot extending from a central position at which said ing a portion extending downwardly fromsaid central positionwhereby disengagement of said slot may retain a worm gear in meshwith said worm to an edge of said plate, whereby said gear,

may be disengaged from said plate, said slot hav gear fromsaid worm may be efiected prior to disengagement of said gear and said plate.

7. An end plate construction for a spring roller housing comprising a body, a worm rotatably mounted on said body, said body having a slot extending from a central position at which said slot may retain a worm gear in mesh with said worm to an edge of said plate, whereby said gear may be disengaged from said plate, said slot having a portion extending downwardly from said central position whereby disengagement of said gear from said worm may be effected prior to disengagement of said gear and said plate, and a keeper having a portion for attachment to said plate and a portion lying within said slot for retaining said gear in said central position.

8. An end plate construction for a spring roller housing comprising a body, a worm rotatably mounted on said body, said body having a slot extending from a central position at which said slot may retain a worm gear in mesh with said Worm to an edge of said plate, whereby said gear may be disengaged from said plate, said slot having a portion extending downwardly from said central position whereby disengagement of said gear from said worm may be effected prior to disengagement of said gear and said plate, and a keeper comprising a portion adapted to have face to face engagement with a face of said plate, and a portion lying within said slot for maintaining said gear in said central position, and releasable means for fastening said keeper to said plate.

9. In a rolling closure installation including a spring roller housing, side guides, and a spring roller, a construction permitting removal of said spring roller from said housing without demounting said housing from side guides, said construction comprising a removable front plate for said housing, end plates for said housing having en-.

gagement with said spring roller, one of said end plates being slotted whereby said spring roller may be removed therefrom, and a removable keeper for said end plate to retain said spring roller in position.

10. In a rolling closure installation comprising a spring roller housing with end plates, a spring roller having a shaft and side guides, a construction permitting removal of said spring roller from said housing without demounting it, said construction comprising means in connection with one of said end plates-for removably retaining said shaft in position therein.

11. In a rolling closure construction comprising a spring roller housing, and a spring roller having a shaft with engagement in end plates of said housing, a construction permitting removal of said spring roller from said housing without demounting said housing, said construction comprising a removable front plate for the said housing, a tension adjustment means on an end plate of said housing, said end plate being slotted, said slot having a positioning portion for said shaft and a portion extending therefrom in a direction to enforce disengagement of said shaft from said tension adjustment means prior to disengagement of said shaft from said plate.

12. In a rolling closure installation comprising a spring roller housing, side guides, and a spring roller with a shaft engageable with end plates, a

disconnectable spring tensioning device permitting removal of said'spring roller from said hous ing without demounting said housing, said'device comprising a worm rotatably mounted-on one of said end plates, a worm gear. mounted on an end extending therefrom in a directiontozenforce disengagement of said worm gear and warm prior to disengagement and removal of said Worm gear from saidplate, and a keeper for retaining said of said shaft, said end platehaving a slot with 5 worm gear in engaged position with .said worm.

a portion for, positioning said worm gear in engagement with said worm and a removal portion;

WILLIAM F. HECKMAN. OT'IIS C. HAGGARD; 

